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Explanation of
HOMONYMS, HOMOPHONES,
HOMOGRAPHS, and HETERONYMS

Buzzy Bee riddles are a play on the sound and spelling of words. This is easily done because many words in the English language sound alike or are spelled alike but have different meanings. Bee is spelled with two "e's" and therefore any words with the letters "b" and "e" are likely to have an extra "e" when misspelled by Buzzy. While the following words are spelled correctly, look for their misspellings in the Buzzy Bee riddles and Buzzy's "answers."

be
beautiful
because
become
behave
behind
beware
maybe
 

What other words might Buzzy misspell? (Hint: look up "be" in the dictionary.)

Buzzy Bee riddles use misspelling to manipulate the meaning of words. Although not correctly spelled, these words might qualify as homophones (words that sound alike, but have a different spelling).

HOMONYMS are words that sound alike but have different meanings. Homophones are a type of homonym that also sound alike and have different meanings, but have different spellings.

HOMOGRAPHS are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. Heteronyms are a type of homograph that are also spelled the same and have different meanings, but sound different.

WORDS THAT BOTH SOUND THE SAME AND ARE SPELLED THE SAME are both homonyms (same sound) and homographs (same spelling). Example: lie (untruth) and lie (prone); fair (county fair), fair (reasonable).



SUMMARY CHART
HOMONYM WORDS
SOUND
HOMOPHONE WORDS
type of homonym
  same sound   same sound
  same OR different spelling   different spelling
  fair (county fair)
  fair (reasonable)
  pear (fruit)
  pair (couple)
  Buzzy Bee Riddle #6; boo bee, booby
  Buzzy Bee Riddle #14; hum bug, humbug
  Buzzy Bee Riddle #13: cell, sell
  pear (fruit)
  pair (couple)
  Buzzy Bee Riddle #6; boo bee, booby
  Buzzy Bee Riddle #14; hum bug, humbug
  Buzzy Bee Riddle #13: cell, sell

HOMOGRAPH WORDS
SPELLING
HETERONYM WORDS
type of homograph
  same OR different sound   different sound
  same spelling   same spelling
  lie (untruth)
  lie (lie down)
  tear (in the eye)
  tear (rip)
  Buzzy Bee Riddle #4; spelling bee, spelling bee
  tear (in the eye)
  tear (rip)


DETAIL CHART
  Same Sound / different meanings Same Spelling / different meanings
    Homonyms    Homophones   Homographs   Heteronyms 
    Different Spelling   Different Sound
see  (with your eye)
sea  (the ocean)
see
sea
see
sea
n/a n/a
to  (preposition)
too  (as well)
two  (2)
to
too
two
to
too
two
n/a n/a
there  
their  (possessive)
they're  (contraction)
there
their
they're
there
their
they're
n/a n/a
bough  (tree limb)
bow  (front of a boat)
bow  (at the waist)
bow  (tied with ribbon)
bow  (shoots arrows)

bough
bow
bow
 
 
 
bow
bow

bough
bow
bough

bow

bow
bow
bow
bow
 
bow
 
bow
 
 
bow
 
bow
lead  (to guide)
lead  (the metal)
led  (guided)
 
lead
led
 
lead
led
lead
lead
lead
lead
lie  (untruth)
lie  (lie down)
lie
lie
n/a lie
lie
n/a
fair  (appearance)
fair  (county fair)
fair  (reasonable)
fair
fair
fair
n/a fair
fair
fair
n/a
bass  (fish)
bass  (low note)
n/a n/a bass
bass
bass
bass
tear  (in the eye)
tear  (rip)
n/a n/a tear
tear
tear
tear

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